University ABC

At every faculty there is an academic advisory office for every field of study. You can find the contact person on the faculty website.

The → AKAFÖ offers accommodation for students in different student halls in Bochum.

• For more information visit this website of the AKAFÖ

At RUB, the Central Advisory Office (ZSB) deals with all general topics and issues regarding studies. Additionally, faculties have their own academic advisory office.

The abbreviation AKAFÖ stands for “Akademisches Förderungswerk” (Academic Support Association), which provides student services. The canteens and cafeterias, student dormitories, childcare facilities and cultural activities are all provided by the AKAFÖ. For questions regarding food, accommodation and financial support please contact the AKAFÖ.

• For more information visit the website of the AKAFÖ

The Anti-Discrimination Office at RUB is the central advice, mediation and information point for students, staff and other members of the university who experience or observe discriminatory behavior and have questions or need support with regard to this issue.

• More information here

There are a few apps that you can download to have a better experience at the university. These include the app RUB Mobile, “Study Life” by → Akafö, the Campus-App of → AStA und the app of the university library RUB Bib.

• All information about “RUB mobile”
• All information about “Study Life” by Akafö
• All information about “Campus-App” by AStA
• All information about App “RUB Bib”

The abbreviation AStA stands for “Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss” (General Student Committee). It gets elected by the student parliament (“Studierendenparlament”, StuPA) to represent all students at RUB and act for them. Additionally, the AStA gives advice in various topics and provides activities that improve the life as a student, such as the repair and bicycle workshops, the Gaming Hub, the dance circle, game and cocktail evenings, their own “Kulturcafé” and more.

• For more information visit the AStA-website

The Audimax is the biggest lecture hall at RUB. Its name stands for “Auditorium Maximum”.

BAföG is the financial support for students if their own or their parents’ financial resources are not enough to finance their studies.

It is provided by the German government. Half of it consists of a grant (which you do not have to repay) and half of an interest-free loan.

At RUB, the AKAFÖ BAföG office advises you on your individual BAföG application and on all questions regarding the loan, requirements and deadlines.

See → AKAFÖ → Finance

Block seminars don’t take place weekly like other seminars. Instead, they take place bundled on a few days or weekends, which means lots of learning material with a compact schedule.

Mainly, they can take place in the semester break or on individual weekends.

The Botanic Garden is a sight to behold and is located directly behind the campus grounds.

Whoever walks down the stairs behind the main canteen (Mensa) on the left will quickly find themselves surrounded by exotic plants – in the garden itself, in the three big greenhouses and the Chinese garden. → explore the website

Find more leisure time activities here à L for leisure time

In the AStA-Bicycle Workshop, students can repair their bicycles for free on their own with professional support and tools – ranging from minor repairs to larger projects.

On campus there are several cafeterias that are operated by the → AKAFÖ – perfect if you want a quick snack, coffee or meal between classes.

You can find the current meal plan, opening hours and locations on the official website: AKAFÖ catering

The Campus Center is located opposite the GA building and is a convenient stop for necessities. There you can find stationery, books, CDs and records. There is also a copy shop, technical services, a kiosk, and even vintage fashion.

The Campus Center’s job board is also very useful, regularly offering temporary jobs, internships, and thesis projects for students in Bochum.

More information here.

Ruhr University Bochum is located on a wide campus with many buildings, lecture halls, canteens and other facilities. In order to navigate on your first day and not get lost, the university offers a comprehensive campus and navigation plan. There you can find:

• Location of the campus and the faculties
• Transportation (e.g. subway, train and bus)
• Parking spaces
• Accessible paths and parking spaces as well as entrances for people with mobility restrictions
• You can find the plan on the official RUB website: "How to get to Campus of Ruhr University". It will help you to find your way to kick-off events, seminar rooms or the canteen.

The Central Advisory Office (“Zentrale Studienberatung”, ZSB) advises and supports people on their way to the university and accompanies students in all phases of their studies. Additionally, it offers workshops for the start of studies among other things.

The Centre for Teaching and Learning (“Zentrum für Wissenschaftsdidaktik”, ZfW) promotes good teaching and learning at RUB by providing scientific and practical support as well as working together with internal and external partners.

In some subjects, there are compulsory elective modules. This means that students can choose between different modules, but are required to complete a minimum number of these modules.

In the course catalog, all lectures and courses at RUB are collectively shown. See here: General Course Catalog.

The Career Service of RUB offers support in career orientation and starting your career. You can get help in topics related to job applications, CV, interviews, practical programmes and can find workshops, coaching and career fairs. Specifically for international students the digital course programme mycareer@RUB is offered. You can find all events and offers on the official website.

Credit points (CPs or ECTS-points) show how much work load a seminar or lecture has. One CP is equal to approx. 30 hours of work, including lecture, practice sessions and examination. For a Bachelor’s degree you generally need 180 CP, for a Master’s degree 120 CP.

A certificate of enrollment is the official document that verifies your enrolment in a university and proves your status as a student. You can find it in eCampus for every enrolled semester.

“CT das Radio” is the campus radio of RUB and all other universities in Bochum. It offers a lively platform for information and entertainment directly from the campus with its broadcasts surrounding topics such as music, culture, life on campus, society and topics related to students. You can listen to podcasts or even join in with your favorite music, a contribution from your studies or creative ideas.

Listen to the livestream directly and explore what happens on and around the campus.

c.t. stands for "cum tempore", which means “with time” in Latin and refers to the academic quarter in course catalogs (see course catalog → C). This means that a lecture with “10 c.t.”, for example, will actually start at 10:15 o’clock. Caution: If the lecture is marked with a “s.t.” it stands for “sine tempore” (Latin: “without time”) (see → S for s.t.)

The dean is the central administrative and organizational office of a faculty and is responsible for the smooth interplay of teaching, research and administration.

As an enrolled student at RUB, you automatically get the so-called “Deutschland-Semesterticket”. With this, you can use all public transportation (such as busses, trains, trams) Germany-wide, including trains of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) in regional transport.

With the RIDE Campus-App or the QR-Code in your digital wallet, you can use the ticket.

Important: To get the ticket you need to pay the “Sozialbeitrag” for every semester punctually. More information here.

If students have a disadvantage in their studies due to a chronical illness or disability, they are entitled to a compensation. This means that examinations can be adjusted in such a way so that no one has a disadvantage because of their health-related restrictions. Examples for this include more time in an exam, accessible rooms or an alternative form of examination.

The online-service eCampus is vital for the organization of your studies. Through it, all important functions regarding studies and administration are collected on one platform.

At RUB, there are many different ways to cater to your hunger. There are the main canteen, Q-West, Rote Bete, and different cafeterias.

The Examination Office organizes examinations, manages registrations and de-registrations, diplomas as well as results and is the contact point for all questions regarding examinations. You can find each examination office on the website of the respective faculty.

The examination regulations (German: “Prüfungsordnung”) are the binding regulation that documents the legal framework for examination in a study program. The individual examination regulations are listed on the website of the respective faculty.

Faculties are organizational units für research and teaching in a specific field of science. At RUB they are divided into humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, medicine and engineering.

Fellow students are students that study at the same university as you. In German, we call them “Kommiliton*innen”. The term comes from the Latin language and literally means “fellow campaigners”. In a figurative sense, it means people that study with you.

There are different ways to finance your studies. You can find advice to financing and information what possibilities there are bundled on this website.

For further possibilities, please see → J for Jobs or → S for scholarship.

The AStA Gaming Hub is a meeting point for students to play video games together, meet new people and spend leisure time between lectures – ranging from classic games to virtual reality.

The G-lawn at RUB is the lawn between the GA building and Q-West – a popular place for students and staff of RUB to relax and enjoy the summer.

• More information about the location under:

The abbreviation HZO stands for “Hörsaalzentrum Ost” and accommodates a few of the biggest lecture halls at RUB. It is located centrally on campus.

More information about the location under → O for Orientation.

RUB has a central Instagram account and an Instagram account specifically for all events that take place on campus.

• More social media accounts under → S for Social Media.

The internet network of RUB provides you with quick and safe internet access everywhere on campus. With your RUB-ID you can log into the WIFI “eduroam” easily. If you want to access the RUB online services from home, you need an additional VPN connection.

In lecture halls, seminar rooms and public places HIRN-Ports, publicly accessible network ports, are available.

You can find all information and instructions on the website of the Network Operations Centre (NOC) of RUB under → Anleitungen

The faculties offer their own introductory events for first semester students. You can find the dates here.

IT.SERVICES is the central facility for IT and communication provision at RUB. It also supplies media technology – always with a focus on data privacy and safety. In case of questions, you can always turn to the Helpdesk .

Jobs for students are compiled at the website for job offers at RUB as well as on the Platform Stellenwerk.

The KulturCafé, aka KuCaf, is a popular meeting place on campus. Here you can meet up with friends for a coffee, affordable food or in the evenings for concerts, parties and other events. The KulturCafé is not only a replacement for the canteen, but also a place for culture, exchange and student life on campus.

The University Language Centre offers a wide selection of courses for learning different foreign languages. Additionally, the International Office informs and consults about language learning.

A lecture is a course in which the lecturer teaches knowledge about a specific subject to students– often in a big group and with accompanying materials, but without an intensive discussion. The discussions take place in seminars and/or practice sessions.

Lecturers are teachers at a university. They give lectures, hold seminars as well as practice sessions and accompany you throughout your studies. They can be professors, research staff or external teachers. Lecturers impart knowledge, help with questions and evaluate your performance in courses.

See à S for Semester/Semester Break

You can find learning groups for specific topics or subjects with the learning group finder .

There are many different places to learn on campus. Absolutely quiet areas as well as beautiful spaces and dedicated rooms for group work are available. An overview of learning places is here: Lernorte auf dem Campus

The University Library (UB) is the main library at RUB. There you can find literature relevant to your studies, workspaces and support regarding research. Besides the UB, various specialist libraries exist on campus.

The RUB Bib app allows you to find all relevant data on your smartphone: borrow books, check the status of your borrowed books and have an overview of course offers by the library and book them.

RUB offers many different activities for leisure time. Some of them are listed here:

• University Sports
• Theaterflat
• Gaming Hub
• Musical Centre
• Student Circle Film
• Student Garden
• RepairCafé
• Botanic Garden

A Master’s degree is an advanced degree program that you can study after your Bachelor’s degree. It deepens or widens your knowledge and usually takes two to four semesters. At RUB, you can choose between many different Master’s degree programs depending on your interests and your Bachelor’s degree.

The canteen (Mensa) is the main place to eat on campus. Here you can choose between different meals, ranging from classical food to vegetarian and vegan offers. The prices are student-friendly, and you can pay conveniently with your RUBCard. You can see the meal plan heree.

The Center for Research Methods (Methodenzentrum)supports students of all faculties with empirical research projects by providing workshops, e-learning offers and advice.

All information about software licenses for students, such as Office 365 and others, are compiled on the website of IT.SERVICES.

A module is a topic related teaching and studying unit that often consists of multiple courses (e.g. lectures, seminars, practice sessions). For every module you get a specific number of credit points (ECTS) at the end.

The module handbook is your official study plan: it describes the content, study goals, examinations and number of credit points for every module of your study program. There you can also find which courses you should take at what point in time.

Moodle is the central study platform at RUB. Here you find all materials for your courses such as scripts, presentations or literature recommendations. Many lecturers also use Moodle for announcements, term paper submission or online tests. To not miss anything, it is worth to check your Moodle courses regularly.

For a good start into your study journey, a Moodle course specifically for first semester students is provided. There you find important information for your study start, tips for orientation on campus and consulting as well as support services. Be sure to take a look. It’s worth it because a lot of information is compiled there in one place.

The Music Centrer at RUB provides you many creative opportunities next to your studies – theatre, dance, music, fine arts or photography. Here you can experiment artistically, get to know new people and put your own projects on stage or canvas. Many activity offers are open for students and free.

More leisure time offers

• University Sports
• Theaterflat
• Gaming Hub
• Musical Centre
• Student Circle Film
• Student Garden
• RepairCafé
• Botanic Garden
  

On the shutdown Opel factory premisses (“Opel-Werksgelände MARK 51°7” (O-Werk)) a modern campus with various offers arose. The Makerspace and Worldfactory Start-up Centre are related to RUB

The “Optionalbereich” provides additional and key qualifications for your career start such as foreign languages, soft skills and internships. In a 2-subject-Bachelor’s degree, 30 CPs need to be acquired in this area. In some 1-subject degree programs, there is also the specification to acquire CPs in this area.

• More information and consultation are on the website of Optionalbereich.

The RUB campus is large and can be overwhelming. But no worries, on the website for arrival at Ruhr University Bochum a current campus map is provided. Additionally, the community on campus is always very understanding and helpful, so you can always ask someone.

At RUB, there is no central orientation week. Rather the faculties and subjects organize their own introductory events for first semester students in which all important information for the start at RUB is provided.

The PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the next qualification level after a Master’s degree and the basis for a scientific career. In Germany, the obtainment of a PhD is called “Promotion”. It refers to the highest academic degree, the doctoral degree, in a specific subject. Information about doctoral studies at RUB can be found here.

The Psychological Student Counseling offers free groups and coaching in the Peer Quartier where students work together to find solutions and get support in personal crises.

• For more help with problems during your studies, watch this video on the YouTube-channel of RUB.

Practice sessions are seminars which deepen the content of a lecture and can be used to clarify questions. Some practice lessons are mandatory.

To prepare well for the start of studies, many faculties offer preparatory courses or propaedeutics at the beginning of a semester for first semester students. In these courses, school knowledge is refreshed and, if necessary, deepened. Some of them are mandatory.

The Q-West is the place for burgers, pizza and pasta on campus. The current lunch specials are always on the Q-West-website.

• More culinary offers of AKAFÖ under → E for Eating at RUB.

In Querenburg, the neighborhood of RUB, you find the Uni Center and several dormitories of RUB among other things.

• You can find more information about dormitories under → A for Accommodation.

The AStA Repair Café is a self-help workshop where students can repair electronic devices together, learn about repairing and recycling as well as promote sustainability.

All regular students at RUB must transfer their social contribution before the start of a new semester. Only then the Registrar’s Office will re-register them, and they can continue their studies.

The Registrar’s Office manages the central data of all RUB students and is therefore the first point of contact for organizational questions.

See → S for Student ID Card

“s.t.” stands for “sine tempore” (Latin: “without time”), which means a course starts punctually at the given time. In contrast, many courses at the university start at "c.t.".

The standard period of study is the duration given by the university in which a degree program normally is finished.

Sciebo is the campus cloud service of RUB and other Universitys nearby. Staff and students can store, retrieve and edit their data safely. More information and instructions are on the website of IT.SERVICES.

A seminar is a course in which students actively participate, discuss and work deeply on a topic, often in smaller groups.

A study year is divided into two semesters: the summer semester and winter semester. Each semester has a lecture period in which the courses take place and a lecture-free period that is commonly called semester break. However, this is misleading because examinations and term papers are written in the lecture-free period – so it’s no classical “break period”.

• All current semester periods are on the website of semester deadlines.

Semester hours per week (German: “Semesterwochenstunden” (SWS)) is a measure unit for the scope of a university course in which 1 hour refers to 45 minutes in person per week during a semester. The abbreviation SWS stands for the indication of a course’s duration and not for the workload which refers to the total work time including preparation and follow-up.

Students can take a leave of absence from university if they have specific reasons for doing so. All information is on the website for Leave of Absence.

The semester ticket at RUB is a so-called “Deutschlandticket”. See → D for Deutschlandticket.

The social contribution is a mandatory semester payment that all registered students must pay at the beginning of a new semester to re-register and get the “Deutschlandticket” or their certificate of enrolment for example. All information about re-registration and social contribution are on the website Re-registration and Social Contribution.

RUB is represented on various social media platforms. There are central channels on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, TikTok und BlueSky. Additionally, some faculties and student bodies have their own social media profiles.

All information about software licenses for students, such as Office 365 and others, are compiled on the website of IT.SERVICES.

In the Student Service Center (SSC) all central service and consulting facilities for students at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) come together.

The “Staatsexamen” at RUB is offered for the study programs Medicine and Law and is not a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Instead, it is its own qualification that is needed for specific professions.

A scholarship supports students financially as well as ideally and provides access to networks and funding opportunities.

More information on financing under → F for Financing

See → F for Financing

The Study Circle Film (“Studienkreis Film”, SKF) is one of the oldest German student film clubs. Here students can watch movies for little money mostly once a week, experience independently curated programs and engage in film cultural events. More leisure time offers are under à L for Leisure Time.

See → A for AKAFÖ

All information regarding sustainability at RUB is compiled in the Sustainability Portal.

The Student Garden is a garden looked after by students behind the RUB Mensa building. There, students cultivate the garden together, enjoy time in nature, and engage in outdoor activities.

More leisure time offers are under à L for Leisure Time.

Your student number is your personal ID number at RUB. You get it automatically when you enroll at RUB. You can find it on your RUBCard for example. The number accompanies you throughout your whole studies and serves as clear identification in all official matters.

SHKs are students that work at the university in research, teaching or administration as an assistant alongside their studies. See also → J for Jobs.

Besides the University Library , several specialist libraries exist on campus. They have literature on specific subjects.

Student bodies are associations of all students of a subject. They represent their members via the elected student council, organize plenary sessions and include the interests of students in the self-administration.

The subject semester refers to the registered number of semesters in the current study program. The university semester, on the other hand, refers to all semesters that you were registered in a university.

SHKs sind Studierende, die neben dem Studium an der Universität in Forschung, Lehre oder Verwaltung unterstützend tätig sind. Siehe auch unter → J wie Jobs.

A term paper is a short scientific paper dealing with a clearly defined topic in your study program.

You can get support for writing term papers at the Writing Center or Center for Research Methods for example.

In order to work in peace, RUB has different learning rooms .

A transcript of records proves completed study or examination performance and is digitally available in the eCampus Campus Office.

Proof of performance is divided into two types: one for successfully completed courses (German: “Veranstaltungsnachweis”) and one for successfully completed modules (German: “Modulleistungsnachweis”).

To create a timetable, you need to choose the courses from the course catalog on your own. Instructions on how to create the timetable for specific subjects are shared during the introductory events of the respective faculties.

The Uni-Center in Bochum-Querenburg is a central meeting place with shopping facilities and food spots.

See → L for Library

An undergraduate study program leads to a first vocational university degree (e.g. Bachelor’s degree, “Staatsexamen”) and provides the foundation for an advanced degree program such as a Master’s degree.

The university semester refers to all semesters that you were registered in a university. The subject semester refers to the number of semesters that you are registered in your current study program.

To access all services and offers of the RUB internet network outside of its campus, it is necessary to set up a VPN tunnel. Here are the instructions of the Network Operations Centre (NOC) at RUB.

The Writing Center supports students in all questions regarding scientific writing – ranging from a small writing task to the thesis.

The Wi-Fi for students on campus is called eduroam and must be set up once.

• Here are the instructions of the Network Operations Centre (NOC) at RUB

To use all services outside of the campus an additional VPN tunnel is required.

• The NOC has instructions here as well.
  

Over the winter holidays, the university closes for approx. two weeks. During this time, the libraries are closed as well. The exact period of closing time is announced every year.

Of course, RUB has its own YouTube channel.

Here is also a special playlist for first semester students.